diff --git a/rootfs/etc/nginx/lua/balancer.lua b/rootfs/etc/nginx/lua/balancer.lua
index f0eb6de4a..4cfae8e85 100644
--- a/rootfs/etc/nginx/lua/balancer.lua
+++ b/rootfs/etc/nginx/lua/balancer.lua
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 local ngx_balancer = require("ngx.balancer")
-local json = require("cjson")
+local cjson = require("cjson.safe")
 local util = require("util")
 local dns_util = require("util.dns")
 local configuration = require("configuration")
@@ -114,9 +114,9 @@ local function sync_backends()
     return
   end
 
-  local ok, new_backends = pcall(json.decode, backends_data)
-  if not ok then
-    ngx.log(ngx.ERR,  "could not parse backends data: " .. tostring(new_backends))
+  local new_backends, err = cjson.decode(backends_data)
+  if not new_backends then
+    ngx.log(ngx.ERR, "could not parse backends data: ", err)
     return
   end
 
diff --git a/rootfs/etc/nginx/lua/configuration.lua b/rootfs/etc/nginx/lua/configuration.lua
index ade5e4d1b..346786476 100644
--- a/rootfs/etc/nginx/lua/configuration.lua
+++ b/rootfs/etc/nginx/lua/configuration.lua
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-local json = require("cjson")
+local cjson = require("cjson.safe")
 
 -- this is the Lua representation of Configuration struct in internal/ingress/types.go
 local configuration_data = ngx.shared.configuration_data
@@ -49,9 +49,9 @@ local function handle_servers()
 
   local raw_servers = fetch_request_body()
 
-  local ok, servers = pcall(json.decode, raw_servers)
-  if not ok then
-    ngx.log(ngx.ERR, "could not parse servers: " .. tostring(servers))
+  local servers, err = cjson.decode(raw_servers)
+  if not servers then
+    ngx.log(ngx.ERR, "could not parse servers: ", err)
     ngx.status = ngx.HTTP_BAD_REQUEST
     return
   end
@@ -59,7 +59,8 @@ local function handle_servers()
   local err_buf = {}
   for _, server in ipairs(servers) do
     if server.hostname and server.sslCert.pemCertKey then
-      local success, err = certificate_data:safe_set(server.hostname, server.sslCert.pemCertKey)
+      local success
+      success, err = certificate_data:safe_set(server.hostname, server.sslCert.pemCertKey)
       if not success then
         if err == "no memory" then
           ngx.status = ngx.HTTP_INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR
diff --git a/rootfs/etc/nginx/lua/monitor.lua b/rootfs/etc/nginx/lua/monitor.lua
index a63ddc75c..2eba36dc3 100644
--- a/rootfs/etc/nginx/lua/monitor.lua
+++ b/rootfs/etc/nginx/lua/monitor.lua
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 local socket = ngx.socket.tcp
-local cjson = require('cjson')
+local cjson = require("cjson.safe")
 local assert = assert
 
 local metrics_batch = {}
@@ -49,9 +49,9 @@ local function flush(premature)
   local current_metrics_batch = metrics_batch
   metrics_batch = {}
 
-  local ok, payload = pcall(cjson.encode, current_metrics_batch)
-  if not ok then
-    ngx.log(ngx.ERR, "error while encoding metrics: " .. tostring(payload))
+  local payload, err = cjson.encode(current_metrics_batch)
+  if not payload then
+    ngx.log(ngx.ERR, "error while encoding metrics: ", err)
     return
   end
 
diff --git a/rootfs/etc/nginx/lua/tcp_udp_balancer.lua b/rootfs/etc/nginx/lua/tcp_udp_balancer.lua
index 75d29c5bd..7d9601ca8 100644
--- a/rootfs/etc/nginx/lua/tcp_udp_balancer.lua
+++ b/rootfs/etc/nginx/lua/tcp_udp_balancer.lua
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 local ngx_balancer = require("ngx.balancer")
-local json = require("cjson")
+local cjson = require("cjson.safe")
 local util = require("util")
 local dns_util = require("util.dns")
 local configuration = require("tcp_udp_configuration")
@@ -99,9 +99,9 @@ local function sync_backends()
     return
   end
 
-  local ok, new_backends = pcall(json.decode, backends_data)
-  if not ok then
-    ngx.log(ngx.ERR, "could not parse backends data: " .. tostring(new_backends))
+  local new_backends, err = cjson.decode(backends_data)
+  if not new_backends then
+    ngx.log(ngx.ERR, "could not parse backends data: ", err)
     return
   end